10 Days Cultural Tour of Ugandan Tribes

Destinations
  • Uganda

Overview

Small as it is, Uganda is one of the most culturally-diverse countries on earth. Uganda is blessed with over 56 tribes, each of which has distinctive traditional ways of life that are both revealing and fun to experience. During this tour, you will explore all the corners of this tropical country as you immerse in Uganda’s authentic vibes. Get ready to sing, dance, eat and live differently in every new region you arrive in. English being the national language helps that you can never feel lost in Uganda. The friendly people of Uganda are always at hand to translate for you; transport you and even host you in their own homes. This safari is designed for people who want to learn about the different cultures of the people of Uganda.

10 Day Itinerary

Kampala is steadily graduating into a fully-fledged metropolitan city with residents from all over the world. The Kampala nightlife is one of the most vibrant around Africa; restaurants here serve authentic exotic and local dishes and the city is home to some world-class accommodations. But when you look beyond the metropolitan facet of Kampala, you will discover a gem of culture. Lubiri, the royal palace of the most authoritative kingdom in Uganda, Buganda, is just around the corner. The citizens of Buganda are known as Baganda and they speak a 600-year-old Bantu language known as Luganda. Built-in the 1880s by Kabaka Mwanga II, the Lubiri is a vast cultural treasure that embodies the history, aspirations, and achievements of the Baganda. Among its key arenas is a museum that showcases the biography and royal regalia of the incumbent king, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II.

While making your way to Lubiri palace, you will drive through the royal mile, a mile-long street that connects it to the Parliament of Buganda on the Mengo Hill. Along its roadsides, you will find statues of totems that are a representation of all Buganda’s Clans and the respective roles they have been playing in the kingdom since time immemorial.

If time allows, you will visit the Uganda Museum where you will find a cultural village replica that showcases the different traditional architectural styles across the country.

Your last destination for today is the Kasubi Tombs, locally known as Amasiiro. It is the burial ground for four of Buganda’s kings. This UNESCO heritage site has a huge thatched roof and bears the priceless royal regalia of each king. 

Overnight stay at a hotel of your choice in Kampala.

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

The main attraction in the Busoga kingdom is the River Nile. After your exploration of the source of the River Nile, you will be treated to cultural dances of the Busoga Kingdom, the third-largest ethnic group in Uganda. Among the dances to look out for is Tamena Ibuga which means friends drink together and don’t fight each other.  After watching the tantalizing Busoga dance, proceed to Mbale, a vast district in eastern Uganda that is home to the Bugisu Kingdom. If your visit coincides with an even year when the circumcision festival is ongoing, we can book you a front-row seat for this amazing ceremony. Known as Imbalu, it is an initiation male circumcision ceremony that is characterized by singing, drumming, electric dancing, and beer parties.

Stay overnight at Mbale Resort for a midrange package or Casa Del Turista for a budget package.

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Once you reach the top of Wanale Hill you will have an unobstructed bird’s view of the entire Bugisu kingdom. Wanale is a magnificent 6,864 ridge with a magical appeal.

Lunch will be at a restaurant in town that specializes in local cuisines of the Bagisu people, one such being malewa. Malewa is obtained from crushing and drying special bamboo shoots. It can easily be confused in appearance for banana fibers, except that it has a sweet smell and the visible joints that characterized it.

Meet and mingle with the people of Mbale; another Ugandan town that doesn’t go to sleep.

Stay overnight at Mbale Resort for a midrange package or Casa Del Turista for a budget package.

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Depart Mbale and head to Moroto district with a stopover at the Nyero Rock Painting. This is a prehistoric rock art site that was beautified by the Batwa, one of the only two indigenous tribes of Uganda. It is a set of three-tiered rock shelters with primitive paintings on their inner surfaces.

Thereafter, proceed with the trip to Moroto District in far North Eastern Uganda where you will feel the pulse of Karamojong, a tribe of nomadic warriors. This is the most authentic cultural tourism destination in Uganda as the ancient cultures here are not yet adulterated by modernity. The Karamojong are the sister tribe of Kenya’s Maasai. Everything the Maasai do, the Karamojong do.

Accommodation Options:
Kara Tunga Lodge
Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Spend the day enjoying the Karamojong dances, food, and even follow them to their cattle rearing and anything in-between. Living on a large plateau in the Eastern Rift Valley escarpment of Uganda, this tribe of pastoralists wears colorful blankets, piercings, and beads that distinguish them from other tribes in Uganda. The climate in this part of the country is dry and windswept. Nonetheless, it is absolutely worth it as it reveals beautiful panoramas, sunsets over the mountain peaks, and nights full of stars.

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

From Karamoja, drive towards Western Uganda for a tour of the royal palace of Bunyoro Kingdom which is headquartered in Masindi District. You will also visit the mausoleum where Bunyoro’s kings were buried. One such is Mparo Tombs where King Kabalega II who was exiled in Seychelles by the British Empire in 1899 is buried.

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Embark on a half-day tour of the royal mile in Budongo Forest where Bunyoro’s kings used to hunt. Carry on with a journey to Kampala ahead of your cultural entertainment at Ndere Troupe Center on the outskirts of Kampala. It is a cultural outdoor auditorium that showcases traditional dances of all of Uganda’s major kingdoms.

Activity duration may vary

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

As you head west again, you will experience the traditions of the Banyankole tribe. Among the must-visit places here is the Igongo Museum, a heritage site dedicated to the preservation of the Ankole kingdom’s past.

You will spend the night at Emburara Farm Lodge, a luxurious cultural village in a ranch setting. It offers a homestay experience during which guests get to understand the cultural connection between the long-horned species of Ankole cattle and the locals.

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

There is a lot to learn and enjoy at Emburara Lodge and there is not enough time in the world to exhaust it.

Activity duration may vary

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Drive to Mgahinga National Park to experience the Batwa people’s life. Discover how the Batwa tribe used to live in the park before they were evicted in 1994 following its gazetting. Among the sites, you will visit here is Garama, a spacious underground cave that used to serve as the palace of the Batwa royal family.

Afterward, you will proceed with the journey to Kigali International Airport, your point of departure. It is within five hours drive from Mgahinga. Alternatively, we can drive you back to Entebbe International Airport if you prefer to depart from Uganda. We can also book you a domestic flight from Kisoro Airstrip to Entebbe. There are scheduled flights, usually lasting about two hours.

Activity duration may vary

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Pricing Details

Pricing Includes:
  • All Safari Activities
Pricing Excludes
  • International Flight Cost

FROM $3,450 PP

Cultural Experience

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